Herb of the Week (sorta) Ginger!

Ginger Snaps a Holiday Tradition!

I have been looking for a ginger snap recipe that is reminiscent of the one we used to make when I was a kid.  This is not exactly like that, as using cranberries never occurred to my family, but the flavor is the closest I’ve found and I think it is the combination of both ground and grated ginger that does it.  Ginger is a long giving flavor, so you will have an entirely different cookie when these are stored and eaten later than you will when they pop warm from the oven.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Gingersnaps

(makes 5 dozen)

Ingredients

·         2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon ground ginger

·         1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

·         3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened

·         1 egg

·         2 tablespoons peeled grated fresh ginger

·         1/4 cup molasses

·         1/2 cup dried cranberries

·         1/4 cup sugar

1.      Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.      Combine the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

3.      In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the brown sugar and butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, grated ginger, and molasses, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour until a dough forms. Mix in the cranberries.

4.      Pour the sugar in a small bowl. Roll level tablespoons of the dough into balls, then roll the balls in the sugar to evenly coat.

5.      Arrange the cookie balls about 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake on the center rack of the oven until the cookies flatten and darken slightly, about 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Allow the baking sheet to cool before adding another batch of cookie balls, or use multiple baking sheets and alternate the pans with each batch.

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